IN THE LEAD UP TO THE WORLD PREMIERE OF SALT, THE L&W BLOG WILL BE FEATURING INTERVIEWS WITH THE CREATIVE WOMEN BEHIND THE PROJECT.

For our second instalment, Dora Award-winning designer Anna Treusch sat down with us for a Q&A about working on Salt, what inspires her design work and what she loves most about working in theatre.

What’s your design process for a new show?

My process starts by reading the script, a quick initial read that I approach with instinct. Then I like to talk with the director early on to get their input on their feelings for the text, to see if they have the same general impressions. Then I work out the concepts and themes relevant to the design, the important storytelling features in the show, and a visual concept. I tend to design a concept through research — deeper research if I don’t know the subject matter well, but typically more visual research — gathering pictures from different sources, things that stand out thematically to me. I look for images that have a tone that I think represents the show, not necessary to put literally into the designs, but as a starting point for conversation.